Mass No. 3 (Bruckner)
Encyclopedia
The Mass No. 3 in F minor WAB
28 by Anton Bruckner
is a setting of the mass
ordinary
for vocal soloists, chorus
, orchestra
and organ
. After the 1867 success of Bruckner's Mass No. 1 in D minor
, he was commissioned "to write a new Mass for the Burgkapelle." Bruckner wrote the first version between Septembers 1867 - 1868, in Linz
(just before his move to Vienna
) made slight revisions in 1877 and 1881, in preparation for performances at the Hofkapelle, mainly to address "difficulties of execution" but also to take into account what he had learned from studying Mozart's Requiem
, correcting some instances of parallel octaves if not justified by Mozart's example, In the 1890s Bruckner was still revising the work, but there were very little changes made to the vocal parts after 1868.
The composer dedicated the piece Hofrat Imhof at "the last minute." Leopold Nowak
, however, believed that the piece was actually dedicated to conductor Johann Herbeck.
, an alto
, a tenor
, and a bass
, while the choir consists of sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. The orchestra consists of 2 flute
s, 2 oboe
s, 2 clarinet
s (in B-flat), 2 bassoon
s, 2 horn
s in F, 2 trumpet
s in C, alto, tenor and bass trombone
s, contrabass tuba
, timpani
, and strings.
The work is divided into six movements.
The Gloria starts out with the words "Gloria in excelsis Deo" and the Credo with the words "Credo in unum Deum" sung by the whole choir, rather than intoned by a soloist, as in Bruckner's previous masses. The setting is more symphonic than that of the Mass No. 1
, with a larger contribution of the soloists.
Whereas the Gloria ends with a fugue
in all Bruckner's masses, in Mass No. 3, as in his previous Missa solemnis
, the Credo also ends with a fugue, a "classical feature". In this fugue the next voice entry is preceded by the acclamation "Credo, credo". The theme of the Agnus Dei has some reminiscence of that of the Missa solemnis.
The first rehearsals, conducted by Johann Herbeck at the Augustinerkirche, took place in 1868 or 1869, but "were badly attended by orchestral players" and were "generally unsuccessful." Ultimately, Herbeck found the mass "too long and unsingable." After various delays, the mass was finally premiered on June 16, 1872, at the Augustinerkirche, with Bruckner himself conducting. Herbeck changed his opinion of the piece, claiming to know only two masses: this one and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
. Franz Liszt
and even Eduard Hanslick
praised the piece. In some later performances, Bruckner was in the organ loft rather than on the podium. At a November 1893 performance of this mass, Johannes Brahms
"applauded ... so enthusiastically ... that Bruckner personally thanked him."
Bruckner make four successive revisions of the work, in 1876, 1877, 1881 and from 1890 to 1893. The first edition was published in 1894, but it contained "numerous spurious performance directions and articulations as well as massive reorchestration, particularly of the winds." Bruckner was angry when he saw it in print, and annotated instances of parallel octaves which he had eliminated in his own revisions. In 1944, Robert Haas
put out an edition as part of the Gesamtausgabe, which was superseded by Leopold Nowak's edition of 1960 and again just recently by Paul Hawkshaw's of 2005. These three editors had access to various manuscripts and contemporary copies. Hans Ferdinand Redlich, on the other hand, did not for his Eulenburg Edition, and complained of being denied access by Nowak. Bruckner indicated bars 170-179 of the Gloria - a part of the last "Miserere nobis" - as optional. As yet, these ten bars were recorded by only a few conductors.
Of the recordings from the LP era, Eugen Jochum
's recording with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
and Chorus on Deutsche Grammophon
has been remastered to CD.
Matthew Best's more recent recording with the Corydon Singers has been critically acclaimed, particularly for Best's not toning down "the Wagnerian element in the gorgeous Benedictus."
Other excellent recordings, according to Hans Roelofs, are that by i.a. Heinz Rögner and Franz Welser-Möst.
Werkverzeichnis Anton Bruckner
The Werkverzeichnis Anton Bruckners is a thematic catalogue of the music of Anton Bruckner compiled by Renata Grasberger. Grasberger did not include any unfinished compositions nor lost works. Lost works, sketches, etc. were added afterwards...
28 by Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner
Anton Bruckner was an Austrian composer known for his symphonies, masses, and motets. The first are considered emblematic of the final stage of Austro-German Romanticism because of their rich harmonic language, complex polyphony, and considerable length...
is a setting of the mass
Mass (music)
The Mass, a form of sacred musical composition, is a choral composition that sets the invariable portions of the Eucharistic liturgy to music...
ordinary
Ordinary of the Mass
The ordinary, in Roman Catholic and other Western Christian liturgies, refers to the part of the Eucharist or of the canonical hours that is reasonably constant without regard to the date on which the service is performed...
for vocal soloists, chorus
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, orchestra
Orchestra
An orchestra is a sizable instrumental ensemble that contains sections of string, brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments. The term orchestra derives from the Greek ορχήστρα, the name for the area in front of an ancient Greek stage reserved for the Greek chorus...
and organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
. After the 1867 success of Bruckner's Mass No. 1 in D minor
Mass No. 1 (Bruckner)
Mass No. 1 in D minor, WAB 26 by Anton Bruckner, is a setting of the Mass ordinary for soloists, mixed choir, orchestra and organ.Bruckner composed it in 1864, and revised it in 1876 and 1881/82...
, he was commissioned "to write a new Mass for the Burgkapelle." Bruckner wrote the first version between Septembers 1867 - 1868, in Linz
Linz
Linz is the third-largest city of Austria and capital of the state of Upper Austria . It is located in the north centre of Austria, approximately south of the Czech border, on both sides of the river Danube. The population of the city is , and that of the Greater Linz conurbation is about...
(just before his move to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
) made slight revisions in 1877 and 1881, in preparation for performances at the Hofkapelle, mainly to address "difficulties of execution" but also to take into account what he had learned from studying Mozart's Requiem
Requiem (Mozart)
The Requiem Mass in D minor by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was composed in Vienna in 1791 and left unfinished at the composer's death. A completion by Franz Xaver Süssmayr was delivered to Count Franz von Walsegg, who had anonymously commissioned the piece for a requiem Mass to commemorate the...
, correcting some instances of parallel octaves if not justified by Mozart's example, In the 1890s Bruckner was still revising the work, but there were very little changes made to the vocal parts after 1868.
The composer dedicated the piece Hofrat Imhof at "the last minute." Leopold Nowak
Leopold Nowak
Leopold Nowak was a musicologist chiefly known for editing the works by Anton Bruckner for the International Bruckner Society. He reconstructed the original form of some of those works, most of which had been revised and edited many times.Nowak was born in Vienna, Austria. He studied piano and...
, however, believed that the piece was actually dedicated to conductor Johann Herbeck.
Setting
The quartet of vocal soloists consists of a sopranoSoprano
A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody...
, an alto
Alto
Alto is a musical term, derived from the Latin word altus, meaning "high" in Italian, that has several possible interpretations.When designating instruments, "alto" frequently refers to a member of an instrumental family that has the second highest range, below that of the treble or soprano. Hence,...
, a tenor
Tenor
The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2...
, and a bass
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
, while the choir consists of sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses. The orchestra consists of 2 flute
Flute
The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
s, 2 oboe
Oboe
The oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
s, 2 clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
s (in B-flat), 2 bassoon
Bassoon
The bassoon is a woodwind instrument in the double reed family that typically plays music written in the bass and tenor registers, and occasionally higher. Appearing in its modern form in the 19th century, the bassoon figures prominently in orchestral, concert band and chamber music literature...
s, 2 horn
Horn (instrument)
The horn is a brass instrument consisting of about of tubing wrapped into a coil with a flared bell. A musician who plays the horn is called a horn player ....
s in F, 2 trumpet
Trumpet
The trumpet is the musical instrument with the highest register in the brass family. Trumpets are among the oldest musical instruments, dating back to at least 1500 BCE. They are played by blowing air through closed lips, producing a "buzzing" sound which starts a standing wave vibration in the air...
s in C, alto, tenor and bass trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
s, contrabass tuba
Tuba
The tuba is the largest and lowest-pitched brass instrument. Sound is produced by vibrating or "buzzing" the lips into a large cupped mouthpiece. It is one of the most recent additions to the modern symphony orchestra, first appearing in the mid-19th century, when it largely replaced the...
, timpani
Timpani
Timpani, or kettledrums, are musical instruments in the percussion family. A type of drum, they consist of a skin called a head stretched over a large bowl traditionally made of copper. They are played by striking the head with a specialized drum stick called a timpani stick or timpani mallet...
, and strings.
The work is divided into six movements.
- "KyrieKyrieKyrie, a transliteration of Greek κύριε , vocative case of κύριος , meaning "Lord", is the common name of an important prayer of Christian liturgy, which is also called the Kýrie, eléison ....
eleison..." Moderato, common time, F minorF minorF minor is a minor scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. The harmonic minor raises the E to E. Its key signature has four flats .... - "Gloria in excelsis DeoGloria in Excelsis Deo"Gloria in excelsis Deo" is the title and beginning of a hymn known also as the Greater Doxology and the Angelic Hymn. The name is often abbreviated to Gloria in Excelsis or simply Gloria.It is an example of the psalmi idiotici "Gloria in excelsis Deo" (Latin for "Glory to God in the highest")...
..." Allegro, common time, C majorC majorC major is a musical major scale based on C, with pitches C, D, E, F, G, A, and B. Its key signature has no flats/sharps.Its relative minor is A minor, and its parallel minor is C minor....
- "Qui tollis peccata mundi..." Andante, mehr Adagio (Sehr langsam), 3/4, D minorD minorD minor is a minor scale based on D, consisting of the pitches D, E, F, G, A, B, and C. In the harmonic minor, the C is raised to C. Its key signature has one flat ....
- "Quoniam tu solus sanctus..." Tempo I, common time, C major - "Amen, in gloria Dei patris..." Ziemlich langsam, cut time - "CredoCredoA credo |Latin]] for "I Believe") is a statement of belief, commonly used for religious belief, such as the Apostles' Creed. The term especially refers to the use of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed in the Mass, either as text, Gregorian chant, or other musical settings of the...
in unum Deum..." Allegro, cut time, C major - "Et incarnatus est..." Moderato misterioso, common time, E majorE majorE major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
- "Crucifixus e tiam pro nobis..." Langsam, E-flat major - Largo - "Et ressurrexit tertia die..." Allegro, common time, C major - "Et in Spiritum sanctum..." Tempo I, cut time - "Qui cum Patre et Filio..." Moderato, 3/4, G majorG majorG major is a major scale based on G, with the pitches G, A, B, C, D, E, and F. Its key signature has one sharp, F; in treble-clef key signatures, the sharp-symbol for F is usually placed on the first line from the top, though in some Baroque music it is placed on the first space from the bottom...
- "Et exspecto ressurrectionem..." Allegro, common time, C major - "Et vitam venturi saeculi..." Etwas langsamer als anfangs (weil 4/4 Takt ist) - "SanctusSanctusThe Sanctus is a hymn from Christian liturgy, forming part of the Order of Mass. In Western Christianity, the Sanctus is sung as the final words of the Preface of the Eucharistic Prayer, the prayer of consecration of the bread and wine...
Dominus Deus Sabbaoth..." Moderato, common time, F majorF majorF major is a musical major scale based on F, consisting of the pitches F, G, A, B, C, D, and E. Its key signature has one flat . It is by far the oldest key signature with an accidental, predating the others by hundreds of years...
- "Pleni sunt coeli et terra..." Allegro, 3/4 - "Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini..." Allegro moderato, common time, A-flat major - "Hosanna in excelsis..." Allegro, 3/4, F major
- "Agnus Dei..." Andante, common time, F minor - "Dona nobis pacem..." Moderato, F major
The Gloria starts out with the words "Gloria in excelsis Deo" and the Credo with the words "Credo in unum Deum" sung by the whole choir, rather than intoned by a soloist, as in Bruckner's previous masses. The setting is more symphonic than that of the Mass No. 1
Mass No. 1 (Bruckner)
Mass No. 1 in D minor, WAB 26 by Anton Bruckner, is a setting of the Mass ordinary for soloists, mixed choir, orchestra and organ.Bruckner composed it in 1864, and revised it in 1876 and 1881/82...
, with a larger contribution of the soloists.
Whereas the Gloria ends with a fugue
Fugue
In music, a fugue is a compositional technique in two or more voices, built on a subject that is introduced at the beginning in imitation and recurs frequently in the course of the composition....
in all Bruckner's masses, in Mass No. 3, as in his previous Missa solemnis
Missa Solemnis (Bruckner)
The Missa Solemnis WAB 29 by Anton Bruckner is a setting of the mass ordinary for vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra and organ.Following the death of Michael Arneth, Friedrich Mayr was appointed abbot of St. Florian. The Missa Solemnis was premiered on September 14, 1854, the day of Mayr's...
, the Credo also ends with a fugue, a "classical feature". In this fugue the next voice entry is preceded by the acclamation "Credo, credo". The theme of the Agnus Dei has some reminiscence of that of the Missa solemnis.
The first rehearsals, conducted by Johann Herbeck at the Augustinerkirche, took place in 1868 or 1869, but "were badly attended by orchestral players" and were "generally unsuccessful." Ultimately, Herbeck found the mass "too long and unsingable." After various delays, the mass was finally premiered on June 16, 1872, at the Augustinerkirche, with Bruckner himself conducting. Herbeck changed his opinion of the piece, claiming to know only two masses: this one and Beethoven's Missa Solemnis
Missa Solemnis (Beethoven)
The Missa solemnis in D Major, Op. 123 was composed by Ludwig van Beethoven from 1819-1823. It was first performed on April 7, 1824 in St. Petersburg, under the auspices of Beethoven's patron Prince Nikolai Galitzin; an incomplete performance was given in Vienna on 7 May 1824, when the Kyrie,...
. Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
and even Eduard Hanslick
Eduard Hanslick
Eduard Hanslick was a Bohemian-Austrian music critic.-Biography:Hanslick was born in Prague, the son of Joseph Adolph Hanslick, a bibliographer and music teacher from a German-speaking family, and one of his piano pupils, the daughter of a Jewish merchant from Vienna...
praised the piece. In some later performances, Bruckner was in the organ loft rather than on the podium. At a November 1893 performance of this mass, Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms
Johannes Brahms was a German composer and pianist, and one of the leading musicians of the Romantic period. Born in Hamburg, Brahms spent much of his professional life in Vienna, Austria, where he was a leader of the musical scene...
"applauded ... so enthusiastically ... that Bruckner personally thanked him."
Bruckner make four successive revisions of the work, in 1876, 1877, 1881 and from 1890 to 1893. The first edition was published in 1894, but it contained "numerous spurious performance directions and articulations as well as massive reorchestration, particularly of the winds." Bruckner was angry when he saw it in print, and annotated instances of parallel octaves which he had eliminated in his own revisions. In 1944, Robert Haas
Robert Haas
Robert Haas may refer to:*Robert Haas , Austrian musicologist*Robert Haas , American calligrapher, typographer, photographer and book designer*Robert Haas , German clergyman and ecumenist...
put out an edition as part of the Gesamtausgabe, which was superseded by Leopold Nowak's edition of 1960 and again just recently by Paul Hawkshaw's of 2005. These three editors had access to various manuscripts and contemporary copies. Hans Ferdinand Redlich, on the other hand, did not for his Eulenburg Edition, and complained of being denied access by Nowak. Bruckner indicated bars 170-179 of the Gloria - a part of the last "Miserere nobis" - as optional. As yet, these ten bars were recorded by only a few conductors.
Discography
About 50 recordings of Bruckner's Mass No. 3 have been issued.Of the recordings from the LP era, Eugen Jochum
Eugen Jochum
Eugen Jochum was an eminent German conductor.Born in Babenhausen, near Augsburg, Germany, Jochum studied the piano and organ in Augsburg until 1922. He then studied conducting in Munich...
's recording with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, in German Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks is the internationally renowned orchestra of the Bayerischer Rundfunk , based in Munich, Germany. It is one of the three principal orchestras in the city of Munich, along with the Munich Philharmonic...
and Chorus on Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon
Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical record label which was the foundation of the future corporation to be known as PolyGram. It is now part of Universal Music Group since its acquisition and absorption of PolyGram in 1999, and it is also UMG's oldest active label...
has been remastered to CD.
Matthew Best's more recent recording with the Corydon Singers has been critically acclaimed, particularly for Best's not toning down "the Wagnerian element in the gorgeous Benedictus."
Other excellent recordings, according to Hans Roelofs, are that by i.a. Heinz Rögner and Franz Welser-Möst.
- Eugen Jochum, Chor und Sinfonieorchesters des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Anton Nowakowski (Organ). LP: DG 18829, 1962 - CD: DG 423 127-2 (Box set of 4 CD), 1962.
- Heinz Rögner, Rundfunkchor Berlin and RSO Berlin, CD: Ars Vivendi 2100 173, 1988.
- Matthew Best, Corydon Singers and Orchestra, CD: Hyperion CDA 66599, 1992 (with Psalm 150Psalm 150 (Bruckner)Anton Bruckner's Psalm 150, WAB 38, is a setting of Psalm 150 for mixed chorus, soprano soloist and orchestra written in 1892.Richard Heuberger asked Bruckner for a festive hymn to celebrate an opening, but Bruckner did not deliver the piece in time for Heuberger's purpose. The setting was...
). - Franz Welser-Möst, London Philharmonic Orchestra and Linzer Mozart-Chor, EMI CDC5 56168 2, 1995.